40 more craft beers on tap at el Bait Shop

Early microbrew pioneer Jack McAuliffe kicks off a week of rare beers at the downtown bar

Feb. 11, 2013

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You might not know the name Jack McAuliffe, but if you’ve ever consumed a craft beer you’ve enjoyed the fruits of his labors.

In 1976 McAuliffe founded the New Albion Brewing Co. in Sonoma, Calif., considered by most to be the first modern microbrewery. He has been called “The Godfather of Craft Brewing” for his part in starting the trend.

McAuliffe will be at el Bait Shop, the Des Moines beer haven with more than 100 taps, today to help promote the bar’s “Weird, Wild and Rare” beer festival, which will run through Saturday.

“He (McAuliffe) kind of set the tone,” said el Bait Shop co-owner Jeff Bruning. “I think a place like el Bait Shop may not have been opened if it wasn’t for someone like him who took that first step.”

“Weird, Wild and Rare” will feature 40 beers that are new to the state of Iowa. Bruning said some of those beers will stick around at el Bait Shop, while others are limited to a single keg or case.

The recipe for McAuliffe’s New Albion Pale Ale is being produced by Boston Beer Company (makers of Sam Adams), making it available for the first time in 30 years. The beer is on tap and available in bottles at el Bait Shop, and McAuliffe will sign bottles for beer fans tonight.